Mama Weiss
by Lil'-Bean-Murderer
Summary: Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company and living on her own after being relocated from her old household, Weiss Schnee finds a baby named Ruby Rose. Does she have what it takes to raise a child or will she crash and burn? Time-skips later on for ages. No White Rose, but there will be mother and child interactions. (AU)
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Just a new story I'm trying out. This isn't a WR story, sorry for anyone who was into that kind of stuff.

**EDIT (MAY 31, 2014):**

**Weiss is no longer a Faunus in this series.**

* * *

Weiss Schnee sighed as she continued to walk down the sidewalk, passing under street lamps as she ignored every car that went by. She was returning after a long day at her father's company to her apartment that wasn't that far away, but far enough to keep her parents from driving her crazy.

She stopped sharing a house - she will never call it a home - with her parents after they had gone too far. It was a shock to all, Weiss included, when she couldn't handle her parents anymore and snapped. As it turns out, it seems that Weiss had picked up on a thing or two from her parents' temper over the years.

Abandonment and isolation had done much more to their daughter than the parents thought. Sure, they were expecting some resentment from their daughter for not being there all the time, but downright snapping at them was something nobody, not even Weiss herself, was expecting. Back then, the conversation ended with Weiss having tears and guilt in her eyes and locking herself in her room for a week. When she finally come out, it was only to say to the servants that she was moving out. They then passed the message to her parents, who didn't do anything to stop Weiss.

All of that was in the past, however. It had been two years since Weiss had her little problem, being sixteen then and eighteen now. As she continued to walk, she thought about how lonely it has been without anyone to live with. Granted, she never interacted much with her parents, but she did somewhat enjoy the company of the maids and butlers, even if she never spoke to them and they did the same. No one understood why she left; it's not like her parents are at the castle to begin with. There were plenty of rooms for her to hide away in.

She sighed again as she pulled out an umbrella she was carrying in one of her grocery bags, rain beginning to drip from the darkened clouds. She huddled into her jacket even though she didn't feel cold in the slightest. One of the advantages of living in a fortress-sized freezer and having the Aura of an ice-cube.

As she passed by the park, she could have sworn she heard faint crying coming from the shadows of the public area. She paused her walking and turned to face the opening of the playground, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Is she hearing things?

She shook her head and kept walking, until she heard the same noise as before, crying. But it wasn't just any crying, it sounded like a child though it was slightly muffled. She stopped again. That was _definitely_ not just her mind playing tricks. She walked back to the opening and swallowed as she walked in, paying no attention to the "No Faunus" sign. Why should she?

Her mind kept telling her to turn back, saying that it was probably a baby Grimm that had wandered into the area from the nearby woods. But she had a gut feeling to continue onwards, thinking that there was no forest close by and no Grimm was stupid enough to stroll randomly on human territory.

* * *

Weiss walked for a few minutes before coming to the source of the wailing, most of the noise drowned out by the rain and muffled by what seemed like cloth.

A basket, under a street lamp.

She cautiously walked to the basket, peering around it as she knelt and placed her umbrella and groceries on the stone below her. The basket was beautifully carved, hunters and huntresses fighting the creatures of the darkness on the sides with a multitude of weapons. Above the opening, a name carved into the wood in fancy cursive:

_Ruby Rose_

_Ruby Rose_? Weiss thought. She carefully lifted what looked like a red rag with her pointer finger and thumb from the basket and cringed away as if something would explode in her face. She could list a few people who wanted her dead and anyone could have traced which route she traveled. When no explosion came, she peeked back in the basket and gasped.

A baby, having black, shrubby hair that was barely grown out of its head. The baby looked no older than perhaps two, judging by the hair growth and size of the child alone.

Weiss gave a quick glance around before shushing the baby, and rested a hand on the child's chest. That seemed to calm it down a bit, when Weiss remembered to pick up her umbrella and lifted it above the child. It stared at the hand before it giggled at Weiss, making her return the action with a small smile. She looked around.

"Hello?" Weiss called out, "Is anybody out there?"

No one responded back. Even if someone did, the rain did a good job muffling any sound around her. She glanced at the baby. Who would leave a child in the middle on the park, alone in the dark, and when it was raining? She couldn't just leave it here.

Sighing again, she picked up the basket by the single handle over the opening and her grocery bags. She would have to make another trip back to the store.

What Weiss didn't see - or hear for that matter - was a figure hiding in the shadows, bleeding heavily from her right side. The silhouette smiled sadly, before whispering, "Take care of my child," and disappeared in a flash of white rose petals.

* * *

**A/N: **This **isn't** a WR story. If you're into age-gap, that's fine and all but this isn't that kind of story. I don't care if you've met people with a twenty-year age gap, I refuse this story to be anything of the sort. Think of it more as a mother and child relationship.

Hope you all enjoy!


	2. Chapter One

**A/N: **About a little over 1,000 words, not including Author's Notes.

* * *

The moment Weiss stepped through the threshold, she breathed in the familiar scent of her living quarters. She kicked the door shut behind her, since her hands were full. Carrying an umbrella, groceries, and a baby wasn't the easiest thing to do, not to mention that she had to run back to the store for some baby supplies. Honestly, who keeps a fresh supply of baby food and diapers at their disposal? Certainly not Weiss.

Her apartment was large, taking up all of the very top floor of the complex. It had a single bedroom with a queen-sized bed, two bathrooms - one connected from the bedroom - a living room with a barely touched flatscreen television, a dinning room, and a kitchen that was connected to the living and dinning room.

Even if most of the furniture stayed untouched, she made sure that the maids never left a speck of dust when they cleaned. It wasn't as if they tried stealing from an heiress of a powerful company, and even if they did the object was replaced within a twenty-hour hour period - whether it was from guilt forcing the person to return the item or the same thing was put in its place.

No family photos; no small mementos; no objects that held sentimental value.

The baby had remained silent ever since it Weiss picked it up, staring up at her with curious, silver eyes, even cocking its head to the side and blinking owlishly.

"What," Weiss muttered, slightly unsettled at the quiet child. It was crying like a banshee when it was alone in the rain, so why was it so quiet now? Sighing, she placed the bags and basket on the table.

As she put everything away, making sure to keep the child supplies out, the guest kept staring at her every time she passed the basket.

"What do you want," Weiss growled, as if she was expecting the child to say something back. Instead, it just kept its head tilted and put its hand in its mouth.

Weiss tsked, "Don't do that," as she gently removed the child's hand from its mouth. It giggled, revealing small teeth on the bottom gums. Weiss didn't realize she was smiling too as she pet the baby's head. Baby hair was always strangely soft.

Weiss looked around, even if she knew no one was here, and sniffed the baby's hair. Young children always had a certain smell to them, or at least that what's she overheard. And it was true, the child smelling surprisingly good.

When she finished fooling around, she muttered, "I guess you must be hungry." She read the step-by-step instructions on the back of the formula package and sat down on a chair near the counter by the child. She let her head rest on her arms and didn't notice her eyes closing, drifting to sleep.

* * *

Weiss snapped awake, falling to the floor in a small state of panic as the sound of crying buzzed her ears. She shot up hastily, knocking over the chair she occupied before, asking herself, "What's going on? - where am I? - what am I doing in the kitch-." She stopped, then face-palmed when she realized that she was in no danger.

Picking up the chair she bumped into, she went over to the crying child, cooing to it quietly in foreign tongue. She remembered she was simply preparing formula for the baby and must have fallen asleep when she sat down by the table.

Making sure the now-warmed recipe hadn't overheated during her nap, she put the contents in a bottle, picked up the child, sat down on the same chair she fell asleep on, and feed the child the formula, soothingly rubbing its back.

"Greedy child," she muttered, though she held no malice in her words, proof of that from the small smile on her lips. She continued to speak gentle words to the child, though she knew that the child could not understand the old language of Atlesian, nor English.

* * *

When the child finally fell asleep after its feeding, a bath, and a few diaper changes, Weiss felt exhausted. The child seemed like an unlimited source of energy, always clapping its hands and splashing water in Weiss's face and tugging on her ponytail.

She _should_ be used to having to do tiring tasks, but come on. A baby? She was only eighteen for crying out loud, heiress to the most influential company on this side of the earth, not some common babysitter!

With a huff as she gently laid the baby down on the bed on its back, she decided she was going to bring it to a nearby orphanage first thing tomorrow. She simply didn't have the time to raise a child and her parents would be barking questions at her like rapid fire. It was just out of the question.

But when Weiss was changing into her nightgown, she would jump at every sound and her head would snap towards the child to see if she was still asleep. Weiss didn't realize until after she brushed her teeth and combed her hair that she found herself watching the child, making sure it was okay - protected and safe. She even tip-toed around to her side of the bed. _This is ridiculous_, Weiss thought._ I should be able to sleep anywhere I want, not having a specific side of _my_ bed._

However, she still couldn't bring herself to move the child, nor did she want to. She cringed when the mattress shifted under her, lying down and moving a little closer to the child.

She slept on her side, gingerly draping her arm over the child since her Aura was too cold to warm _anybody_ up. And although she hesitated at first, Weiss placed a soft kiss on the child's forehead.

"Goodnight, Ruby," Weiss whispered as she once again drifted to sleep.

* * *

**A/N:** _"Atlesian"_ is the native language of Atlas for this story.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed my story! Let's get more, yeah?


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N: **About 1,000 words.

* * *

Weiss once again awoke from crying as she jumped, literally, off the bed on the floor gracelessly. She quickly picked herself up, rushing to the crying Ruby's side.

However, Ruby was still asleep. The bed shifted under Weiss's weight as she lifted the child and began mumbling quiet words to Ruby, gently rocking her in her arms.

The crying didn't last long after that, and Weiss wiped any tears the stained the baby's cheeks. Ruby would whimper here and there, suggesting that there was still unsettled business going on in her little dreamland, and Weiss couldn't do anything but wait. She didn't stop muttering little nothings, even if it was pointless.

But the whimpering continued, filling Weiss with dread since there was nothing she could do. What was an eighteen-year-old supposed to do? If it took her multiple times to get the _diaper changes_ right, what makes her think that she could take care of a baby that's suffering from nightmares?

She sighed tiredly, laying back on the bed as she placed Ruby next to her on her back.

Wasn't there something on the news about not letting your baby sleep on its stomach? She chuckled dryly. _You're saying 'your' as if it's your own child._ The thought had wiped away any traces of a smile, fake or not.

She stroked what little hair Ruby had and hummed a simple tune. Whenever she had morbid thoughts like these, she would often hum the tune her mother would sing to her. Of course, that was before she turned six. And before she snapped.

Weiss sealed her eyes shut. Ruby was still twitching slightly in her sleep and here she was dwelling on the past. What happened, happened, and there was nothing she could do to change that.

Ruby seemed to calm down after a bit, and Weiss relaxed as she tried to get comfortable._ I'm glad that's over_, she thought as she returned to the position she fell asleep in.

Hopefully, tomorrow would be better.

* * *

The sun crept through the curtains, giving a dull, orange glow to the normally white room. The curtains were always pulled closed; Weiss liked it that way. It made the room darker at night and in the morning.

She sat up, yawning as she locked her fingers together and stretched them above her head before laying down on her back when she heard satisfying pops. She looked to the child next to her.

Or at least was _supposed_ to be next to her.

Weiss didn't know whether she should groan, worry, or look for Ruby. Then she heard a crash, like glass breaking.

Definitely the latter two.

She scrambled off the bed and rushed her way to where the sound seemed to originate, the kitchen, after she almost tripped on the hallway carpet.

After a disastrous run to the kitchen and stumbling four times, she found the child on the counter gnawing on a spatula. Glass littered the floor, looking like it was two broken plates - maybe three if she wasn't internally groaning.

"What are you doing?" she chided to Ruby. Though there was no venom in her voice, she was still annoyed. How did a baby manage crawl all the way out of a room that Weiss was sure she closed, climb on top of a counter, somehow break plates that were in their respective cabinets, and end up with a cooking utensil as a snack?

Weiss sighed, at least Ruby was okay. Ignoring the mess for the maids to clean, she lifted the child and brought Ruby close to her chest, gently removing the tool from the child's mouth. She placed it in the sink, then made her way to the living room to sit on the couch. She ignored Ruby's grunts in disapproval as she moved further away from the sink.

"You're a hazard to my health, you know that?" Weiss said as she sat down, the baby bouncing on her lap. She got a laugh and several small claps in response, the spatula forgotten. Weiss closed her eyes and leaned her head back so it was over the couch's back. "Honestly, what am I going to do with you?"

Her eyes snapped open. "What _am_ I going to do with you?"

* * *

**A/N: **Alright, notes! I have little to no idea where this story is heading, but I already got a few time skips planned already. I should probably get a chapter planner like my other story... that's a thought.

**Thank you to anyone who reviewed, favorited and followed! **Let's hope for more, yeah?


	4. Chapter Three

**A/N: **About 1,800 words this time, not including Author's Notes.

Enjoy the early update!

* * *

"And that's why I need you to watch Ruby," Weiss finished, taking drink from her coffee.

Lie Ren stared at Weiss with widened eyes. His partner, Nora Valkyrie, was completely distracted by Ruby, making peek-a-boos and wordless gibberish.

The three - four, including Ruby - were at a local café that they used to visit regularly before Weiss had her schedule filled up. The café wasn't as busy as it usually was since it was still 6:45 a.m., still relatively early for most people. Nora used to work here, too, before she found a better job as a waitress at the expensive restaurant down the street. When she wasn't working there, she was fighting Grimm with Ren.

These two were probably the few people that didn't care that Weiss left her home. Rather, they (Nora) were actually happy that she decided to grow a spine instead of being controlled by the monster called Weiss' Father.

"A baby broke glass?" Ren said, still baffled.

"Yes. Clumsy one, isn't she?" Weiss glanced at Ruby, who was laughing uncontrollably when Nora tickled her stomach with her fingers.

"And you're not the least bit worried?"

"No? Should I be?"

"Ruby could have gotten hurt, you know?" Nora said, not taking her eyes off Ruby. "And who would want this cutie to be hurt," she said in baby-talk. Ruby giggled and flailed her arms around when Nora picked her up. "Who's a good Wolfie*? You are!"

That would have certainly been bad if the child was injured. Then that would have been a lot of explaining when the medical bill came in, which would reach her parents. Even if her parents don't check the bills, they have assistants who do that, surely the workers would pick up that something was off.

"Wolfie?" Weiss whispered to herself, trying not to think about the possible outcome of Ruby getting hurt.

"At least she's not hurt now," Ren said, "You don't have to worry about it."

"So will you watch her for me? At least until I explain everything to my parents first," Weiss took another sip of coffee to get rid of the knot in her stomach. She really needed these two to say yes. "You guys are my only option."

Ren glanced at Nora, who was still playing with Ruby by throwing her up a few inches before catching her.

He sighed. "Alright."

Nora cheered and Weiss released the breath she was holding. "Thank you. It should only be a few days or so. Maybe even shorter than that."

"No problem!" Nora said.

Weiss smiled, though it faltered when her watch beeped. She glanced at the watch. "I have to go." She finished her drink. "I'll call you when I'm finished. Later."

"Later!" "Later," The duo said simultaneously.

As Weiss left to pay the cashier for her drink, she looked back to see Nora lift Ruby up above her head and say, "A new king is born!", earning a few looks from around the café.

Ren thankfully took Ruby from her, ignoring the pout Nora was giving him and waved goodbye to Weiss.

_Maybe this isn't the best idea…_

* * *

Weiss fell face-first on her couch. Today was tiring as usual. Study, spar, study, study, study, spar. That was her schedule all day at the company. If she was to take ownership of the company someday, she was to meet the proper requirements first. That means she has to achieve her father's standards, and those were_ very high standards_.

Weiss wouldn't be surprised if her father beat up Death himself to make sure she got everything absolutely right before passing on.

She sighed as she flipped over onto her back. It wasn't as if her parents were happy she moved out. She simply couldn't handle them breathing down her neck all the time. And it wasn't as if she moved to another kingdom. Plus, her father still had hopes in her ruling the company, so that must mean_ something_.

The phone went off from the kitchen, causing Weiss to groan as she got up and walked to the phone. She numbly picked it up, not bothering to check the caller ID.

"Hello-"

_"Weiss!"_

Weiss cringed and brought the phone away from her ear. "Nora?"

_"It won't stop crying!"_

"What won't stop cry-"

As if on cue, she was met with loud crying on the other side of the phone, the noise making her bring the phone away from her ear again. Nora must have put the phone right next to Ruby.

"Ruby?"

_"How do we make it stop?!"_

"I-um…" Weiss thought. "What did you guys do?"

_"Nothing! It just started crying!"_

"Where's Ren?"

_"He's trying to calm it down! We tried everything! Diaper changes, food, nothing's working!"_

"Um…" Weiss thought hard. Why would Ruby be crying? What calms down babies? Thinking back to movies she has watched, she tried to think of something.

_Rocking? No, I'm not close to Ruby at the moment. Talking? I doubt Ruby had much to say. Cuddling? Nora might suffocate her. Oh, Ruby, why are you crying? What else works? Gas trouble- no, hunger- no, singing- no, cha-_

Then, it hit her. Singing usually works, like lullabies.

"Give the phone to Ruby, I think have an idea."

_"Ruby? Okay, if you say so."_ There was rustling on the other end and Weiss waited patiently. The crying was closer now, as loud as it was before.

"Ruby?" The child almost seemed to stop crying instantly, giving a few whimpers. "Are you missing me already?" She got a few whines as responses, an unnoticed but small smile spreading on Weiss' lips.

"Are you giving Ren and Nora trouble? Don't be rude, Ruby. You should know better than that." There was no response, then Ruby started giggling.

Weiss smile grew as she muttered a few words in old Atlesian, mostly words her mother cooed to her when she was younger - excluding all the "I love you"s and such - making the baby on the other side laugh.

"Nora, keep the phone by her ear," Weiss said.

_"Okie dokie!"_ More rustling.

Weiss cleared her throat, coughing lightly a few times to get rid of any hindering mucus in her throat. She was a bit rusty, but it should be fine. Taking in a deep breath, she started to sing.

* * *

Nora didn't actually put the phone by Ruby's ear. Instead, she put it on speaker, turning the volume up to seventy-five percent. The second she heard the tone of voice Weiss was using, she automatically knew that she was going to sing. They _had_ been friends for twelve years, Ren only being ten years with them.

Hearing Weiss sing was always a gift that they both enjoyed, though she stopped doing it when she was shut out of the world to prepare for inheriting the company.

Nora placed the phone on her bed and picked up Ruby, placing the baby in between her and Ren. She leaned on the headboard and closed her eyes, ignoring Ruby's weak attempts to reach the phone.

Ren smirked. He looked at the phone at the end of their feet before moving it closer, up to Nora's knees so that it was close enough to hear better but also out of reach from Ruby's hands.

Then he heard Weiss sing. It was a song he recognized as one of her lullabies. She used to sing it to Nora whenever she had a bad dream and sometimes to Ren too, when he was having difficulty falling asleep. He sighed in content as he also leaned back and let his eyes close. A privilege indeed.

Neither could understand a word being sung, as always, but they enjoyed it nonetheless. Even Ruby looked happy, her silver eyes sparkling in pure delight.

But as the much as the child loved the singing, her eyes started to sag and her body started to relax. She wasn't awake for more than a minute in the song.

Ren looked to Nora and she looked back, smiling tiredly at him, a smile which he returned.

As Weiss' lullaby came to a close, Ren carefully took Ruby and placed her on Nora's bed. He tucked her in, along with Nora since she called first dibs on sleeping with the child. Nora smiled her thanks and fell asleep quickly.

He picked up the phone after lowering the volume and turning it off speaker mode.

"They're asleep," he whispered.

* * *

_"They're asleep,"_ Weiss heard Ren whisper.

"Thank goodness," Weiss sighed. "I thought that ball of energy would still be up." She waited. "Oh, and Ruby too of course."

Ren laughed quietly. _"Thank you, Weiss."_

"No problem. Just call the next time Ruby's acting up again."

_"I will. Good night."_

"Good night."

Weiss hung up. She sat down on the couch and threw the phone half-heartedly on the table in front of the flatscreen. It just doesn't make sense. Why did Ruby calm down when she heard Weiss' voice? _She's_ not the mother and it's far too soon for the baby to become attached. The only thing she's done for it was bring it in from the rain, so why? Plus, the child is at least one or so, meaning that it should have been attached to its original mother.

She sighed. _Maybe because I look like her? _She thought harder. _No, that wouldn't make sense. I don't even know what the mother looks like. _She let herself fall sideways.

_A child can't be attached to its mother, _she came to a slow realization, _if the mother wasn't always there._

Weiss blinked a few times. _Is that why?_

She yawned. Apparently, she was more tired than she thought, but there was still something left to do. Reaching for the phone, she dialed a number she had remembered over the course of the years, and waited for the phone to pick up.

When it did, she was met with a rehearsed but tired,_ "Mr. Schnee speaking."_

Weiss gulped. "Father?"

_"Weiss? What in- heavens, child, do you know what time it is?"_

"I'm sorry," Weiss said, trying to make some semblance of confidence to her voice. "It's just that there's something important I want to talk about."

She heard a sigh on the other end._ "Is it so important that it can't wait until tomorrow?"_

"Yes."

Another tired sigh. _"Well was is it then?"_

She covered the microphone wit her thumb, took a deep breath, and removed her thumb before saying, "I want to adopt a child."


	5. Chapter Four

**A/N: **About +700 words (probably a personal _worst _for me), not including Author's Notes.

* * *

The other side of the phone was so quiet that anyone else would have thought her father had hung up, but Weiss knew better. She waited patiently, though her heart was beating hard enough that it felt like the whole room felt its tremors.

The man on the other line finally sighed. _"Well, I hadn't expected you to tell me so soon,"_ he said.

_Wait, what?_

"What?" Weiss asked. "You knew?"

_"Weiss, you can't hide anything from your mother and I. We saw you talking to those friends of yours, and I'll admit that I thought it was their baby at first."_

"B-but how did you find out?"

There was a long pause before he quietly said, _"Weiss, I know you don't think we love you. I know we're not the best parents, but believe me when I say this; we'll always love you, no matter what happens. We're always watching out for you,"_ he swallowed. _"And a few co-workers had overheard your conversation."_

Weiss nearly choked when she heard that.

"So, does that answer the question?"

_"Weiss,"_ he sighed, _"your mother and I had talked about it all day today. We're just not sure that you can handle it along with your other responsibilities. A child needs constant care and if that child spends too much time with those friends of yours, it won't recognize you in within a few weeks."_

"Father, I can do this. I can't just give her away. It's... it's just a gut feeling that I have."

_"Weiss-"_

"Father, please," she begged. "I want - _no_ \- I need to do this. Just this once."

The line was quiet again. _"Wei-"_

"Please," Weiss felt embarrassed that her voice cracked.

Again, it was silent, then he quietly said, _"Okay. I'll fill out the papers in the morning." _Before Weiss had a chance to thank him, he said,_ "But if I see your performances declining - even in the slightest bit - the child leaves. Understood?"_

"Yes, Father," she said quietly. "I won't let you down."

_"Good,"_ he said. _"And next time that friend of yours decides to reenact old films, tell her to be a little quieter about it."_

Weiss groaned. "Yes, Father. Good night."

_"One more thing." _He waited, before saying, _"I'm sorry that you've been alone all this time. Good night."_ And the line went dead. It happened so fast that she almost thought she heard him wrong.

Weiss hung up as well, numbly falling on her side. The end of the conversation was... odd. Did he really know about her loneliness? She had personally thought she had done a good job at hiding it.

Weiss sighed. The talk had exhausted her, and she felt tired and hungry. Deciding it would be better to eat a light snack before bed, she stood up and walked to the kitchen, stretching her arms above her head then relaxed.

The glass had been cleaned up from yesterday's incident, but she paid no mind to it. Instead her attention was on the basket still on the counter. She didn't know why the maids hadn't disposed of it.

Granted, it was a very nice basket, but it's not like there's much to do with it - not with someone's name craved on it. She had no reason to sell it - she was already filthy rich - and she had no reason to keep it. Shrugging, she was about to throw it in the waste bin before stopping and staring at the basket's contents.

A red blanket.

_That's right_, Weiss thought,_ Ruby was crying in this when I found her._

She picked it up, only to see it wasn't a blanket at all but a cape. A rather large one, and it carried the light smell of roses on it, a refreshing scent rather than the burn of lemon bleach. Curious, Weiss draped it over her shoulders and nearly jumped out of her skin when the hood fell on her shoulder blades.

It fit nicely, she'll give it that, but she took it off as quick as she put it on. It didn't feel right on her.

**_-Insert Time Skip-_**

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for the shortish chapter. I decided to make Weiss' father nice in this one. It's the least he could do for isolating his daughter.

Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed! **I FINALLY GOT 50+ FOLLOWERS ON A STORY!** Maybe I should post a new story as a little victory prize? Nah.


	6. Chapter Five

**A/N:** Around 1,000 words.

Mostly a catch-up chapter.

* * *

_One Year Later_

A year had passed, filled with waking up in the middle of the night to crying, countless packages of formula, baths that always resulted with Weiss dripping wet on the floor, and a lot of diaper changes. Despite all this, Weiss didn't regret her decision in the slightest. Plus, there were some positive things to these experiences.

Ruby was always smiling whenever Weiss was around, she almost never cried when she was awake, and she would lift Weiss' mood no matter how bad the day had been. And Ruby's nightmares rarely happened anymore; they only happened once and that was around the time Ruby was taken in from the park.

But a year of Ruby also meant a year of an untold number of days Weiss' father would push her to her limits. He wasn't kidding when he said he was expecting a lot out of her, and her passing birthday was proof of that. She had to work at least twice as hard than the pace she was working at before, but she kept her word and pulled through no matter what.

Nora and Ren still watched Ruby when Weiss was working, and she would sing over the phone everytime Ruby would miss her. Some days she couldn't see her, but the very next day she would make sure to see Ruby before going to work first thing in the morning.

Today was one of the days her father decided would be a good day for her to rest. Even he took days off and she hadn't taken a day off since she had turned nineteen. That was more than half a year ago.

And here, we have a nineteen-year-old Weiss laying on her couch in her apartment, legs outstretched and barely touching the other side of the couch, while whispering a memorized story to a two-year-old Ruby. Ruby was sleeping on top of Weiss, both facing stomach-to-stomach, with Weiss' arms lightly hugging Ruby's back.

Weiss often told this story to Ruby since it was the same one her father used to tell her. She knew that Ruby had fallen asleep, but she would never stop short in the middle of the story. It was one of her unspoken rituals and she would always feel incomplete without finishing to the very end.

Weiss yawned and snuggled closer to Ruby, mumbling the last few lines of the story and blinking herself to sleep.

* * *

"W_eiiiii_ss!" Nora shouted as she pounded on Weiss' apartment door. "Come on! You promised we could go shopping today!"

"She doesn't like it when you do that," Ren said simply.

"She doesn't like it when you're here either," Nora stuck out her tongue.

"You dragged me along."

"Nuh-uh, you practically begged me to come shopping with us."

"I asked where you were going so early-,"

"Ap-bap-bap. Don't wanna hear it, beggar."

By this time, Weiss' door flew open, Weiss standing on the other side glaring at the two of them. Ruby was dozing off in one of Weiss' arms, looking as if she was about to fall until she let herself fall limp into Weiss' shoulder, snuggling into the crook of her neck.

"Weiss! Your awa-," the door was slammed in Nora's face.

Weiss sighed through grit teeth._ Great, they woke up Ruby_.

"Weiss! You promised to go shopping with us!" Nora shouted through the door.

"You mean go shopping with yo-,"

"Us!"

Weiss growled. She had forgotten about the shopping trip they had planned.

She was sure Nora said it would be just the two of them with Ren watching Ruby. Maybe he was here to pick her up?

"By the way, Ren practically_ begged_ me to join us-," there was a loud clap on the other side of the door. "Ow!"

Weiss growled louder as she walked to the door and pounded to get Nora to stop. "I'll be out in a minute," she shouted as she quickly covered Ruby's exposed ear when she unclenched her hand.

She sighed as she walked to her room, frowning sadly when she passed the couch. She really wanted to sleep… especially since it was a day off.

Knowing that Nora wouldn't go away until they had at least an hour of shopping in, she gently woke up Ruby and they both got changed out of their pajamas - it was still 7:30 in the morning - and Weiss got any supplies Ruby might need when they were out, like diapers and an extra change of clothes.

Before she left the apartment, she glanced towards the window and smiled. Yes, today might have begun with a shaky start, but it'll be a great day. Weiss knew it.

When she opened the door, she tossed Nora a bag. "You're carrying the baby stuff."

* * *

**A/N: **Wow Weiss, what a good parent you are.

Other Things: Okay guys, now it's time for the real questions:

Will there be shipping in this story?

Though this is my story, I would like the readers to have a say in _something_. Here's the catch though. No White Rose (Weiss x Ruby), no Enabler (Yang x Ruby), no Ladybug (Ruby x Blake), and no whatever-the-hell Weiss x Jaune is.

Personally, I want to keep it none.


	7. Chapter Six

**A/N: **So get this: I'm writing this chapter and since I know little about babies, it would make sense to look up research, right? In the middle of looking up something about baby growth, my mom walks (barges) in and just stares at my screen for two minutes before saying, "I swear to God, if you have a child I'm going to kick you out of this house."

Yeah, it took a whole lot of convincing to tell her that it was part of a research paper I'm doing for my health class.

About 1,200 words, not including Author's notes.

* * *

A finger poked her stomach, causing her to reflexively pull back and for hummed annoyance to rumble from Weiss' throat. The same finger poked her stomach deeper a few seconds later, the action producing the same results only with a louder hum. Again, the finger poked her stomach, testing Weiss' patience. Nora snickered at the sight of the Weiss' stomach spasming and she narrowly missed the swipe for her head by Weiss' fist.

"Stop it," Weiss hissed, "It's just as annoying as every other time you did that."

"I'm sorry, but your reactions just so cute!" Nora squealed. "With the little noises you make wh-."

Nora dodged another hit on her head.

They weren't thirty minutes in on their shopping trip since they had entered the mall and Nora already asked if they could grab something to eat, claiming that she had nothing to eat for breakfast - Ren denied any of those claims and told Weiss that they had actually eaten a relatively big breakfast.

The food court wasn't as full as it usually held, but it was enough to create plenty of background noise around the three young adults and child.

Ruby remained indifferent on Weiss' lap - with Weiss' arms protectively yet gingerly around the baby's stomach - looking this way and that to take in as much sights as a child could. If Weiss didn't have fast reflexes, Ruby's pacifier would have hit the floor.

Weiss smiled and kissed the top of Ruby's head. The "new baby smell" had worn away from the baths Weiss would give her, but Weiss doesn't usually notice unless she puts her mind to it.

"Why are we here, Nora?" Ren asked as he ate some of his food. "You aren't even allowed in this mall."

"I know, but I just wanted to hang out! Weiss is so busy with her work and when was the last time we all hung out as a group? A year ago, that's when!" Nora pounded on her chest triumphantly. "And I had taken the liberty of talking to security yesterday, thank you very much!"

Ren looked to the side to where a security guard was sitting, the bulky man not bothering to hide his glares at Nora as he ate his taco. _That explains the conversation Nora had on the phone yesterday. _

They preferred not to talk about what happened the last time they were here.

"Has it been that long already?" Weiss asked half-heartedly. "I haven't noticed. Time just passes by sometimes."

Nora jabbed her stomach again. "None of that!" She evaded another punch. "We're going to hang out as a group." Ruby babbled nonsense, catching Nora's attention away from Weiss' stomach.

"We talk enough on the phone, why do we need to 'hang out'? Aren't Ren and Ruby enough company? Surely, you have better things to do than to bother with me."

Nora and Ren glanced at each other after watching Weiss' gaze fall to her food. Nora flicked her forehead.

"Anyway, did Wolfie say anything yet? Don't babies start talking when they're two or something?" Nora dodged a nth attempt for her head.

Ren nodded. "She's right. It's almost time for Ruby to turn three."

There wasn't an exact pinpoint on Ruby's birthday when the doctors analyzed her age. The closest they got was near the beginning of November. Weiss chose it to be a week in of the month, the seventh of November*.

It was September. The twenty-fifth.

"No, nothing yet. Maybe I'm not spending enough time with her? They do say mother-child time helps develop the brain," Weiss muttered, only to get another flick on the forehead.

"No bad thoughts! We're here for fun, not stress. Maybe Ruby's just a late bloomer. Like how you're still short!"

Nora didn't dodge a slap upside the head from Ren, and feigned hurt as she rubbed the back of it.

Weiss sighed. "But Ruby isn't mine-,"

Surprisingly, Ren interrupted, "Weiss, stop. Ruby clearly loves you." Weiss didn't look convinced. "Ruby cries every night for _you_, not Nora or your father or me. She _is_ yours, not by genetics but by heart. If that's not enough to convince you, then just look at the way she looks up to you."

Weiss looked down to Ruby, who was staring up at her in awe, silver eyes sparkling with happiness when Weiss smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. "You're not a late bloomer, are you?"

Ruby giggled and gabbed Weiss' bangs in response.

Weiss' scroll vibrated from it's location on the table and she sighed when she read the new message's contents. "Something came up at the company. I have to go," she said as she ate one more forkful of her food and a sip of her drink. "I'll call if I can pick-up Ruby today." She gently handed Ruby to Ren.

Nora frowned before exclaiming, "Okay!" She then occupied herself by spilling some of the salt and pepper from their shakers on the table and drew silly monsters as she ran her pointer finger through the particles. Ren simply waved his goodbye.

Ruby, however, seemed to babble and whine as Weiss threw away her remaining food - though she kept the drink for the trip. She squirmed in Ren's hold.

"Ruby? What's wrong?" Ren asked. It took him a second too long to realize Ruby couldn't answer him back. Ruby indeed didn't answer and instead squeezed her hands in grabbing motions towards Weiss' retreating back.

"Maybe she's hungry?" Nora asked, raising an eyebrow. Ren shook his head and lifted Ruby up to check her diaper. The child looked like she was struggling with something, but the duo couldn't understand with what.

"Mama!" Ruby squeaked.

Weiss stopped dead in her tracks.

She didn't notice that her drink had slipped from her fingers - causing an explosion of ice and soda to splatter on the floor with people staring at her quizzically - nor did she notice that she had turned to face a wide-eyed Ren and Nora and a still unhappy Ruby.

She felt tears prickling her eyes, though she couldn't understand why. The feeling of immense joy in her chest, the warmth spreading throughout her body as she ran to Ruby, the single tear down her cheek; she couldn't understand it.

"Ruby!" Weiss shouted, drawing more looks to the group. She didn't care though, lifting Ruby to the fullest she could and bringing her close to her chest into a hug. "You said your first words!"

Nora and Ren smiled peacefully at each other before back to the mother and child.

Nora leaned her head on Ren's arm and quietly said, "She doesn't know just how much she cares about her yet, does she?"

Ren didn't have to respond. Weiss let a few tears fall as she smothered Ruby in kisses and hugs and Ruby happily accepted the affection with small giggles, Weiss not caring about any of the people watching her right now.

_**-Insert Time Skip-**_

* * *

**A/N: *We don't have a canon date for Ruby's birthday so I just used the release of her trailer date. That's good, right? It's an AU, I can do what I want.***

I'M SORRY, I HAD TO MAKE THAT CUTE. I HAD THE CHANCE AND I TOOK IT. **AND YANG'S GONNA GET INTRODUCED IN THIS TIME SKIP. CAN I GET A "HELL YEAH"?! ****_HELL YEAH._**

There wasn't much I could do with a two-year-old Ruby, so Ruby will be... five?

Other Stuff:

I need sleep. Not really, but it's a thought. (This will explain why there might be typos in this chapter.)

And to anyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed, thank you. I love it when you guys are supporting my story.


	8. Chapter Seven

**A/N: NOT DEAD!  
**

Ruby = 5 and Weiss = 22 in this chapter.

About 1,000 words, excluding Author's Notes.

* * *

Weiss was asleep, a smile on her face as her breathing rhythmically raised and dropped her chest. The window, cracked open slightly, let in a warm breeze and the sound of birds.

Yes, it was a relaxing Sunday for Weiss; a day off too, which meant sleeping in was top priority.

However, while Weiss was "busy" sleeping, a child gently opened the door to the room, snickering to herself as she tip-toed to the figure in bed. She tried stifle her giggles as she snuck up to the bed and took an intake of air, cupping her hands around one of Weiss' ears.

_Whoosh._

Weiss snapped her eyes open as she flew off the bed with her covers bundled in her legs, holding the offended ear as she fell.

"RUBY!" Weiss shouted as she scrambled to get out of her sheets, only to face-plant on the floor.

Ruby burst out into a laughing fit. She ran away before Weiss could stand again and made her way into the living room, making sure to wait to slam the door in Weiss' face.

"Ruby! I'm going to get you!" Weiss growled as she threw the door open. Ruby let out a yelp - still laughing - and ran around to the side of the couch, Weiss chasing behind her.

Ruby and Weiss switched sides, continuing to do so before Weiss jumped over the back of the couch, lunged at Ruby, and lifted her up. She took in a breath and blew into Ruby's stomach. Ruby laughed even more uncontrollably.

"What did I tell you about waking me up like that?" Weiss mock-lectured and blew in Ruby's stomach again.

"I-I'm sorry! M-Mama, I'm sorry!" Ruby laughed. She tried shoving Weiss away but Weiss retaliated by tickling her instead. "Mama! S-stop!"

Three years had gone by, further developing the growing child. Walking was troublesome, meaning Ruby fell face-first many times and had to be cheered up by Weiss - from singing or falling down also to make Ruby laugh (the first few times were completely coincidental). It was a while after she said her first words, and speaking and eating had thankfully come somewhat naturally to her with help from Weiss, the doctors saying that no medication was needed for further development. Weiss knew that Ruby was a late-bloomer and had to be reminded multiple times that there was nothing to worry about.

Nora and Ren… they were still around, only not as much as they used to. When Weiss finally turned twenty-one, her father looked to her with newfound respect. Not only did she endure countless paperwork and sparring practices, but she also was able to raise a child _and_ still have that child love her - something Weiss' father had difficulty doing (though he had a company to take care of). She was relieved of some of those burdens, meaning more time with Ruby but less time with her friends. She hadn't spoken to them face-to-face in a while, but she talks to Nora via web chatting from time to time.

However, not all was well. Weiss' mother passed away months after Weiss' twenty-second birthday. Of course, Weiss cried, but kept herself composed when Ruby was around because she knew Ruby would cry too if she saw her mother crying. Revealed later on, her food was poisoned by no other than the White Fang. Weiss' father wasn't the same man he used to be, but he still didn't push more weight than necessary on Weiss. He even gave her a brief - but heartfelt - hug at the funeral before leaving for a meeting.

Ruby didn't understand what had happened throughout the week, and Weiss won't explain it to her until she was older - when it didn't hurt to bring up the topic.

Ruby's laughing became breathless pants for air when Weiss set her down on the couch. Weiss smiled and kissed the top of the child's forehead and ruffled her hair, which surprisingly grew a lot during the years; it now rested about an inch or two off her shoulders.

"Did you eat breakfast yet?" she asked. Ruby weakly shook her head. "Should we go out to eat?" Ruby shook her head again. She pointed at the television, being used nowadays instead of rotting away on its wall, as Weiss walked to the kitchen.

"It said - it was gonna - rain cats and dogs today," she said between breaths. "I wanna - catch a dog."

Weiss nearly laughed out at that, but instead took to smirking as she took three eggs out of the refrigerator and cracked them in a small bowl. Ruby sat up on the couch, the pace of her breath returning to normal. She reached out to the remote on the table and ended up falling off the couch - but she disregarded it as she turned on the television on the floor. Propping her elbows on the table, she stared at the T.V. with awe as she watched a huntress fended off monsters with her teammates.

Weiss glanced warily at the television. "Should you be watching shows like that, Ruby?" she called over her shoulder from the stove.

"It's okay, Mama. It's for kids seven and up."

Weiss shrugged, "Well if that's the case-" she froze. "Wait a second. Ruby!"

Ruby snickered as she put the volume up. "What was that, Mama?"

Weiss was ready to say something about the sudden rise of the volume, when their "fight" was interrupted by Weiss' elegant chime doorbell, then loud knocking.

Both parties turned their heads towards the door. "Ruby, did Auntie Nora call when I was asleep again?" Weiss asked.

"No, Mama."

Weiss frowned in confusion. "That's odd. Who else has the code?"

As she walked to the door, Ruby hanging behind her leg when she passed, she muttered, "Nora wouldn't come here uninvited and Ren has no reason to visit. Father's busy, so who could it be?"

Ruby gulped when they stopped. "Who is it, Mama?"

"I don't know, Ruby," Weiss said as she stood in front of her door. She grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door open.

* * *

**A/N: Yang is in the next chapter.**

Oh, thanks to everyone again, the usual things. (I'm stumbling on my typing, that means I should sleep soon.)


	9. Chapter Eight

**A/N: **Seven-year-old cursing ahead. I don't own Girl Scout Cookies, I'm just using the names. Shout out to **Dr. Schadenfreude055** for the idea of making Yang a Girl Scout.

Around 1,000 words, excluding Author's Notes.

* * *

Weiss didn't realize she was still wearing her pajamas - a tank top and polka-dotted pants - until she looked down to see a child, wearing a brown vest with multitudes of pins and badges and a white shirt underneath.

However, it wasn't the clothing that brought Weiss' attention; rather, it was the child's hair and eyes. She had never _seen_ such vivid shades of purple eyes and blonde hair before. It seemed like it was something right out of a fairy tail! Less importantly, behind the blonde child was a wagon, red as the pajama dress Ruby wore.

"Would you like to buy some cookies to help the Girl Scouts?" the child asked sweetly.

"Cookies?" Ruby squeaked, eyes sparkling as she peered out from behind Weiss to take a better look at the mentioned sweets. While strawberries were Ruby's favorite food, she learned that cookies were usually inexpensive and easier to prepare than strawberries. Plus, they were tasty. She tugged on the back of Weiss' pajama pants. "Mama, I want cookies."

Weiss was thinking silently, muttering, "Okay, Ruby." As Weiss patted Ruby's head, she missed the spark that had lit the Girl Scout's eyes.

To get to the very top floor Weiss lived on, you needed a six-digit code that you typed in the keypad inside elevator. Even then, the bell boy would call Weiss to tell her someone was coming - unless it was Nora and Ren.

_So how did…?_

Weiss sighed. It was too early for this. _Might as well make the most of it while she's here._

"Do you have any Tagalongs?" Weiss asked as she rubbed her forehead.

"No."

"No?" Weiss asked, sounding surprised and moving her hand from her head. "What about Samoas?"

"Nope."

"Lemonades?"

The blonde shook her head.

"Chocolate Chip Shortbread?"

"Nada."

"Well, what kind do you have?"

The child smiled and picked up a green box from the wagon behind her, only to throw it at Weiss' face. "Thin Mints, bitch!"

* * *

"So, Yang," Weiss started, slightly muffled by the ice pack she held to her nose. "Would you care to explain why you hit me with a box of Thin Mints and how you managed to get all the way up here without having anyone notice you?" Weiss tossed the box on the table, not bothering to look where she was throwing as the box slid to a stop in front of the child named Yang. Yang Xiao Long, to be specific.

Ruby was happily eating the various cookies Yang brought (it turns out she actually did have Chocolate Chip Shortbreads) on the couch while watching the show she was watching before; the wagon was at the foot of the couch, easily in Ruby's reach.

Weiss put the ice pack she was holding up to her nose back in the freezer and sniffled a few times. The child had thrown the box much harder than one would suspect from a seven-year-old. Thankfully, it wasn't swollen, only a little stuffed.

Yang scratched the back of her head and chuckled nervously. "Yeah, about that. I wasn't thinking too much. More of a 'heat-of-the-moment' kinda thing, ya' know?"

"I'm surprised you even think at all, actually."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing," Weiss sighed. "Continue."

Yang was quiet before continuing. "I came here looking for Ruby, since I thought she was unhappy. But now that I look at her," she looked to where Ruby sat on the couch, "she looks fine."

"Why wouldn't she be?"

"That's none of you business," the child growled, and Weiss could have sworn she saw red bleed into the child's eyes. However, it happened so fast that Weiss brushed it off. "Anyway, to answer your second question I came from the elevator."

"Okay, but how did you come to this floor?"

"From the elevator," Yang repeated.

Weiss grit her teeth. _Oh, you think you're funny._ "Where did you get the code to get up here from the elevator?"

"_Oh_, why didn't you just say so in the first place?" Yang smiled slyly.

Weiss was sure the only thing preventing her from slapping the child upside the head was the fact that Yang wasn't hers. Of course, she would never hurt Ruby either, physically or emotionally.

"Yeah, it was a friend of yours, I think. A very hyper ginger and a mellow lookin' guy. They were going to come up to see you but they said they had a hunting trip to go to."

Realization hit Weiss faster than a truck of bricks. She groaned and face-palmed. _Still too early for this. _"Which one was it, the ginger or the mellow one, that gave you the code?"

"The ginger."

_Nora, I swear I'm going to kill you someday._ Sitting then slumping on the chair, Weiss put her face in her hands, mumbling to herself nonsense.

Yang cleared her throat, and Weiss looked up. "Well, I owe you an apology and a thanks, but Ruby's coming back home with me."

"Wait, wait, wait, no." Weiss stood up immediately. "Ruby's staying here with me."

"Uh, no. She's coming with me back to her family."

"No, I'm her family. Ruby was abandoned."

"No, you took her from us!"

"I stole a baby?!" Weiss yelled defensively.

Yang slammed her hands on the table and stood up. "She's coming with me!"

Weiss, however, was unfazed. Why would she be; she _clearly_ towered over the child. "No, she's not!"

"Yes she is, to live with her dad!"

"Your father wasn't a very good dad if he left her all alone!"

"Why you- don't talk bad about my dad, you bitch!"

The two glared daggers- no, _swords_ at each other, their eyes filled with resentment.

"Mama?" Ruby asked, oblivious to the tension that had gathered around the apartment and drawing the white and yellow duo's attention.

Weiss sent another glare at the blonde before turning at face her daughter. "Yes, Ruby?"

Ruby munched on a cookie and swallowed before asking, "What's a 'bitch'?"

* * *

**A/N:** *Sigh* Hey guys. You're probably wondering. "Where's the branch-off?" Here's the thing. I know I promised whole separate series for it, but I might end up only making a short one-shot. I just have too many ideas that I want to write before the summer ends and with RWBY Vol. 2 coming out really soon, I know for a fact that I won't want to write three stories. I know I hyped it up _so much _but I can't balance three stories (with another one coming out soon, I hope).

I know those last sentences sounded hypocritical, but I don't want to write two if the same stories that has only a sight alteration. I'm extremely sorry, I just don't have the time like I used to.

**SHIT. THANK YOU TO ANYONE THAT CAUGHT MY MISTAKES. **


	10. Chapter Nine

**A/N:** Wow, I reread this story and now I know why you guys want me to update it so soon. I've forgotten how freaking adorable this thing is. I forgot to mention that Weiss doesn't have her scar _yet_. That's going to be very soon… heh heh…

About 1,200 words, excluding Author's Notes.

* * *

Weiss could feel herself _burning_ with rage as her clenched her fists and hissed inwardly. She could feel the migraine coming before it hit, the obvious signs beginning to surface. The throbbing at her left temple steadily increasing its pace, the nauseating churning of her stomach, the way the kitchen light was beginning to irritate her. There was nothing wrong with her lights, she knew that much, but she turned them off with only her pointer and middle finger anyway.

Her prescription medication was in the bathroom a short walk away, in the cabinet that doubled as a mirror, but she couldn't get it at the moment.

She had to deal with the _thing_ sitting at her table.

The thing - the _demon-child_ \- was snickering in her seat - she had sat back into it - eating a cookie. The child turned to Weiss and she immediately stopped laughing at the immense glare she was receiving. The older woman's breathing could be heard from across the table and Yang could have sworn it could be seen visibly too through the white-haired girl's nostrils. The young girl had been compared to a dragon before, but if this is what she looked like when people said that, she doesn't want to be compared to one anymore.

The heiress felt an overwhelming urge to launch the demon-child out the window with one of her glyphs. With some money, the whole thing could be covered within a few hours and Yang Xiao Long would disappear from records forever. It would be as if she never lived in the first place. Then again, she does not know where Yang even came from, nor did she want to deal with any mourning relatives associated with the child.

Ruby, poor oblivious Ruby, cocked her head to the side, repeating, "What's a bitch, Mama?"

Yang saw the woman's eye twitch.

"Ruby," Weiss said stiffly.

Ruby straightened up, "Yes, Mama?"

Weiss' glare never left the blonde's eyes. "Please go to the room, Mama will explain it later."

"Okay!" The child hopped off the couch and grabbed the wagon's handle, leading it into her and Weiss' room.

As Ruby left cheerily, Weiss kept her glare on Yang. Still slowly munching her cookie, the younger girl had trouble keeping eye contact and looked at the table instead, slumping in her chair. However, Yang didn't need to suffer her head being drilled through for long since Weiss sat down with sigh, tying her hair up in a casual right-side ponytail with a scrunchie she had around her wrist.

"Look," she said quietly as she let her palms hold up her head at the temples, "we're obviously at a disagreement here."

Tilting her head to the side, the blonde stated, "Obviously." She put down her cookie on the table - which would have normally upset Weiss, but she didn't notice - and locked her fingers on the table. "Now you lookie here," she said, not continuing until Weiss finally looked up.

"Don't you think Ruby deserves to meet her family, her _real_ family?" She put her hands up as if she was weighing something and rolled her wrists and her eyes. "Okay, I get that Ruby and you have bonded and stuff, but this is her blood family we're talking about. Do you know how long we've," 'we' probably being Yang's family, Weiss connected,"looked for Ruby?"

Counting the places on her fingers, the child continued, "Vale, Mistral, Vacuo, we almost didn't bother searching in Altas! But I didn't give up and I came here anyway alone."

Weiss still looked like she wasn't fully comfortable with the idea, and Yang couldn't blame her. Yes, Weiss was a complete stranger to her, but she had taken care of Ruby and by the looks of it, Ruby was happy.

Sighing with one last attempt, she added, "If she doesn't adjust well with her family, I'll bring her back personally." Holding her hand out, Yang smiled. "Deal?"

Weiss looked at the hand but didn't know what to do. On one hand, the seven-year-old was right, Ruby should meet her family, the people who are probably worried sick about her and think that she isn't alive anymore. But on the other hand, could she really trust Yang? This girl just walks into her apartment, throws a box of cookies at her face, teaches Ruby a bad word (unintentionally), and demands that she hands the child over. And then what? She finally decides to be reasonable about it?

However, Ruby was never truly hers in the first place and the child was reaching the age where she needed constant attention, something that was becoming more difficult. Next year she was getting the company, leaving little to no room to watch Ruby. Reluctantly. she shook the child's hand.

"Deal."

The child's smile grew. "Great! We'll be leaving now!"

"Wait what-" Weiss didn't have time to speak as the blonde ran off her seat and sprinted to the bedrooms. Just as Weiss hurried to stand up, the blonde left the hallway with Ruby being carried in her arms bridal style. The younger child looked confused as the blonde opened the door.

"Mama?" she quipped, but the moment she saw the confusion and slight fear in Weiss' eyes, Ruby fidgeted, feeling uneasy. "Mama?" she weakly asked, but the door was kicked shut.

Ruby panicked. "Mama!"

"Ruby!"

The heiress stumbled to get to the door, cursing the cookie boxes Ruby had left behind. When she finally reached the door, she threw it open just in time to see the two children in the elevator, the blonde smirking at the heiress and Ruby squirming to get out of Yang's arms. The steel doors were in the process of closing.

"Mama!"

With a jump, she reached her hand to the elevator button.

"Ru-!"

The doors closed fully. She tried pushing the button multiple times, but it was already on its way down. Her breathing becoming ragged with panic, she looked up to the brightened numbers.

12

11

**10**

...

"-by…"

She hit her head on the wall above the buttons. She did it again. And again. And again. And again, until she was forced to rest her head when she felt her migraine acting up again.

Trying to stop herself from crying - but failing to do so - she turned back around and entered her room, slamming the door behind her as she fell face-first into the couch. Ruby's program was still on, boxes still littered the floor, untouched eggs were still in the bowl on the counter, and her stomach rumbled. But she didn't care; her little ball of joy was gone from her life.

Tears tickled the corners of her eyes as she nuzzled her face into a pillow.

"I didn't even get to say goodbye…" Slowly, her visions became darker and her mind still ached from her migraine, but it felt numb.

* * *

Thunder sounded from outside, causing her to jump up. There was pounding on her door, and she took a quick glance around. Outside it was pouring with the occasional lighting then clap of thunder that followed shortly after. The room was slightly darker than it was before, meaning the storm clouds had finally settled above town.

She stood up quickly, not bothering to think who was at her door when she threw it open. Immediately, when she didn't see anyone, she looked down.

Ruby had tears running down her face, her nose running that she sniffled up and her clothes sopping wet. Yang was in a similar state, but she looked more annoyed and her face had no puffiness of crying.

Bending on her knees, Weiss opened her arms open, happy to see Ruby run into them and wrapped her smaller arms around the woman's neck. Weiss kissed Ruby's head and stroked her hair, feeling a wetness in her shoulder.

Weiss turned to look at the older child, her mouth slightly parted in confusion with a raised eyebrow.

The child, however, couldn't look directly at her and instead kept her eyes a little below Weiss'.

" … It's raining a lot."

* * *

Weiss didn't know why she let Yang even step foot near her apartment, but she let her in with no resistance anyway. She led the both of then to the bathroom, turning on the water to fill the tub. Ignoring the way Yang gawked at the size of the porcelain, the white-haired woman opened a cabinet and pulled out two towels, leaving them on the closed toilet lid.

"You two take a bath, I'll make breakfast," she said simply, kissing Ruby's head on the way out and gently closing the door behind her.

Yang stared at the door for a little while before she started to remove her clothes, starting with her pants.

_You're weird, Schnee._

Ruby was already in the warm water. The water was up to her mouth, but it didn't hide the pleased smile that adorned her lips, eyes closed in bliss from finally being out of the cold, wet clothes.

Yang didn't say anything when she stepped into the water, but instead looked around. The bathroom walls were white, much like the rest of the apartment, and the tiles that lined the floors were checkerboard. A toilet in the corner, black, fuzzy mats on the tiles, the sink to the right of the toilet, and the bathtub that took up the whole right side of the bathroom.

Slowly nodding her head, Yang whispered, "Nice."

* * *

**A/N: **Unfortunately, that is all I have for now. Next chapter might be a little longer. I'm not sure. I don't even know why I type such short chapters, I just do. Why do I update stories at 12 am, I don't know. Why don't I check my Grammar and spelling in the morning, who knows.

Considering some other junk too, I'm _trying _to make some sort of updating schedule, but it's not working so well.


	11. Chapter Ten

**A/N: *tears come streaming down all my followers' faces*** B-Bean? Y-You're not abandoning t-this?

***me; as I come down from the heavens with angels singing at my back*** Fret not, my followers. This is not an author's note or anything of the sort. This. Is. A CHAPTER! Also, no I'm not crying from the amount of follows and favorites this has.

Refresher: Weiss = 22, Ruby = 5, Yang = 7. Sorry for the change of writing style. Heh... I've been practicing a lot.

About 1,300 words.

* * *

Weiss stood patiently while rubbing her still slightly-swollen nose.

However, the woman still stood tall, arms crossed over her chest, lips in a tight line as she evenly gazed down at the child in front of her, sighing for the fifth time within ten minutes as she weighed her options mentally.

Ruby was allowed to take her breakfast into Weiss' room, a treat the child could not resist, and she bolted before her mother could change her mind.

Because she was too big for Ruby's clothes, Yang, the demon-child, had to settle for one of Weiss' white button-ups, the shirt that Yang refused - or could not - button up herself, so Weiss had to do it. As for underwear, the pair she was wearing before thankfully dried faster with the Weiss' hair dryer than the child's other clothes.

The blonde picked at her eggs and toast with a fork weakly, avoiding the rigid yet stoic stare with practiced ease, not twitching a single flinch when the woman sighed again.

After some inner turmoil, Weiss talked. "I'd like to speak to your parents," she finally said, unfolding her arms to pick up her mug of coffee on the table, only to stop it short of her lips when the child mumbled under her breath.

"What?" Weiss asked. "Speak up."

"I only have one parent. My dad." The bitterness in Yang's voice made the woman frown in confusion but decided it was better not to pry.

"Then let me talk to him."

Yang did not move.

A quick glance at the clock on the wall had the woman rubbing her eyes with a hand; Yang was not going to talk, and she had to be at the company in an hour and a half.

"Oh, this is a big problem," she breathed tiredly. Weiss rolled her fingers on the table, hunched over as she picked her nails at the wooden surface. "I don't trust you, child-"

"It's _Yang._"

"_Yang_," she muttered, "I have to get to work soon. I don't trust you to not do that again, even if those two grown-ups from before are watching. The goons that let you up here." If the statement was not enough to scare the child, the next surely would. "I'm taking you down to the police."

Yang started, slamming her fists childishly on the table as she looked panic-stricken at the taller woman. Weiss' face remained unchanged at the blonde's desperate expression.

"Y-You can't do that! I'm just a kid!"

The taller girl smiled sweetly. The child looked taken back.

"Really? Me, Weiss Schnee, owner of the Schnee Dust Company, the biggest producer and exporter of dust in all the kingdoms," she walked around the table and placed a hand on Yang's chair, rolling her free wrist to the air as she continued her explanation dramatically, somehow able to keep her voice even throughout her act, " will humbly listen to a stranger child and not call the police after she hit me with a box of cookies, stole my daughter from my house- only to return no more than ten seconds later, mind you- and made my house and bathroom soaked with water."

Weiss, dramatically again, walked over to a window in the kitchen and threw an arm over her eyes. "Oh, the cruelly! The horror!"

Yang clenched her fists, and the Schnee finished curtly; "Of _course_ I can't. How _dare_ I?"

The child growled lowly but lowered her head in shame. Another roar of thunder passed between the silence as Weiss turned to the blonde, and Yang's defiance wavered at the woman's threat.

"Fine," she said softly. Weiss noticed that Yang released the tension in her fists and let her hands slack on the table.

"Fine what?"

"I'll," she paused to swallow her words down, her face flushing in what Weiss assumed to be embarrassment and let her finish uninterrupted. "I'll call… I'll call my dad."

* * *

Yang twitched and fidgeted with the phone in one hand, wiping away hot tears with the other as she whimpered quietly on the closed toilet seat. She had to get out of there, not being able to hold back the tears, and swiftly took the phone Weiss kept on the counter and locked herself in the bathroom.

She was so scary.

She was so _scary_.

That woman was the devil. There was no other way about it. The woman of the _world._

Her dad always warned her about messing with the Schnees, that they were nothing but a bunch of liars and snakes out to kill all the Faunus. Schnees were smart and cunning, knowing exactly what they want, how they want it, when they want it. Emotionless, cold, evil, manipulative- and those were the positive words Yang knew to describe them. She would get in trouble if she said the negative ones.

Yang knew she had to stop poor, innocent Ruby from becoming something like that.

The bathroom had been cleaned up, the comfortable rug replaced with one of black color, and any trace of water was gone. How the false-mother was able to clean it up so quickly or get someone in and out of her house without drawing the acute attention of Yang set warning bells off in her head.

She felt the urge to mess everything up again but repressed her actions, not wanting the demon-lady to tell her dad that she was a pest.

However, stubborn as she was, Yang still kicked a corner of the new rug up. The carpet corner, of course, flew effortlessly, limply folded over and filling her with a small amount of satisfaction.

She took a steadying breath, wiping any stray tears with the back of her wrist and dialed in the only phone number she knew. Only a single ring passed before the line picked up.

_"Hello?"_ The man on the other side sounded tired, almost as if he has been up all night. Knowing that she was probably the reason he did that, Yang swallowed.

"H-Hey, dad."

_"Yang?"_ His voice cracked. _"Thank goodness! Where on Remnant are you!"_

"I'm-," sighing shakily, "I'm in Atlas, dad."

There was a pause, followed by some talking on the other side of the line.

_"How did you end up in Atlas!? From Patch! Oh dust, did someone take you? Are you being held hostage?"_ She vaguely picked up, "in Atlas?" from someone other than her dad.

"No, dad, I'm fine." Yang nervously rubbed her palms on her thighs, then picked at the hem of her borrowed shirt. "I hid on a boat to get here."

The man on the other line did not seem to hear her words. _"I'm coming there right now, and I'm heading straight to the police."_ He was not listening to her again.

"Dad." Still ignoring her. "Dad." Still going off on how he's going to travel all the way to Atlas by foot if he has to. "Dad!" Now it was quiet. "I'm okay!"

The silence on the other side was concerning.

_"Yang, where are you right now."_

* * *

"Well. That could have gone worse," Yang mumbled, unlocking the bathroom door.

Telling her dad that she was sitting in the bathroom of the one and only Weiss Schnee after finding her missing sister was an odd experience to say the least, but her father could easily be here within a few hours, a day at most, to see for himself if Yang - and his second daughter - was safe. Yang took only two days herself from _hiding_, imagine how quickly it would take a man with a drive to get his daughters back.

Yang was not able to take a step forward, bumping into something as she was lost in thought. She looked down.

Ruby was smiling up at her.

"Mama's scary, right?" Ruby giggled. " 'Specially when she's yelling at Auntie Nora." Yang's fists clenched again, and her stomach churned with a nauseating slowness. "Mama doesn't yell at me a lot. Only when I eat a lot of cookies!"

These people brainwashed her sister to believe such things, to think that her family was a bunch of complete strangers. The blonde could not take it anymore.

"Do you like cookies?"

These lies had to stop.

Locking her eyes with her younger sister, Yang did not hold back. "She's not your real mama, Ruby."

* * *

**A/N: **I shouldn't have to say this, but Yang's still only 7. Of course she's gonna be scared at a lady like Weiss, but her stubbornness wouldn't give Weiss the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

Alright, down to the nitty gritty. I'm really, really sorry for stating that I've abandoned all hope for this story. If you guys... could just bare with me on my updating schedule... just please bare with it... then I promise to stand up, dust myself off, get back on the horse, and continue my stories. And sorry for any mistakes. I wrote this down in one sitting and decided to just go with it instead of talking to my Beta Reader. I'll try not to do this next time.


End file.
